A NEW committee which will act as a watchdog in local government fighting sleaze and corruption met for the first time and elected a chairman.

Former chief magistrates' clerk for East Lancashire Laurence Loft, has been charged with the task of leading the standards committee at Blackburn with Darwen Council -- and said his main role will be to provide guidance to councillors and officers regarding their personal conduct.

Mr Loft said he will also be responsible for helping to draw up a code of conduct for members and officers at the council.

Mr Loft added: "I will provide guidance to councillors and officers regarding their personal conduct. And the idea is to build up a code of conduct for councillors and officers in relation to council business.

"Enforcement will be a matter for a regional board which has not be established yet." A national model code of conduct will be established under the Local Government Act 2000, but councils will have flexibility to address particular local issues as an add-on to the national code.

Mr Loft will also be responsible for promoting the code and ensuring people get proper training.

The full committee will comprise four independent members and four councillors from all the political parties.

Two of the other independent members have been elected -- former Chief Superintendent of Eastern Division Eddie Walsh and the secretary of the Lancashire Council of Mosques Talhar Wadee -- and the committee's first task will be to sift through applications and choose a fourth member. It is planned to get someone in by the end of September before the committee meets again on October 11.

Labour Councillor Andy Kay was elected vice-chairman, while the other Labour member on the committee is Coun Tony Humphries. Conservative Coun Gordon Taylor and Liberal Democrat Karimeh Foster are the other members.

The code of conduct should be available for adoption by local authorities by April next year.